Zig-zag interfolding machine



R. M. LOASE U 2,819,068 I Z IG-ZAG INTERFOLDiNG MACHINE Jan. 7, 1958 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. l7, 1954 /%M 0/71? fi 2 043, )ALZZ-qA'ITORNEKE6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 7, 1958 R. M. LOASE ZIG-ZAG INTERFOLDING MACHINEFiled Aug. 17, 1954 1 64 I 7 4; ATTORNEYS:

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Jan. 7, 1958 R. M. LOASE ZIG-ZAG INTERFOLDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Aug. 17, 1954 $5 INVENTOR,

1% I l ll ATTORNEYS R. M. LOASE ZIG-ZAG INTERFOLDING MACHINE Jan. 7,1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 17, 1954 717 I INVENTOIRf ATTORNEY Jan.7, 1958 R. M. LOASE ZIG-ZAG INTERFOLDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FiledAug. 17, 1954 sfL;

ZEG-ZAG INTERFQLDING MACHINE Raymond M. Lease, Hawthorne, N. Y.,assignor, by means assignments, to American Type Founders Co., Inc,Elizabeth, N. 5., a corporation of Delaware Application August 17, 1954,Serial No. 450,356

3 Claims. (Cl. 2'i0-73) This invention relates to rotary foldingmechanisms and more particularly to machines for folding and creasingcontinuous webs of material, such as paper, to form a stack of zigzagconfiguration.

High speed folding machines of this general type are well-known, whereina pair of cooperating folding cylinders carry about their peripheries aplurality of tucker blades and jaw pairs in such a manner that thetucker blades of each cylinder are received by coacting jaw pairs of theother cylinder. it is also well-known that at this tucking point the webis under a substantial pull or tension and subject to frequent tearingor bursting. It is therefore the primary object of the present inventionto obviate the above difiiculties by providing a machine wherein thepull on the web during the tucking operation is greatly minimized.

In machines of this general type, due to the circular path which thecylinders follow, the tucker blades are moved into and out of the biteof the jaw pairs through a series of sharp angles decreasing as theblade first begins to enter the bite, to an angle of when the jaws havefully received the blade and then increasing as the blade is finallywithdrawn from the jaws. This sharp angular relation between the bladesand jaws has not only proved disadvantageous due to the excessive pullplaced on the web, but also due to this cocking action, it is difiicultto accurately position the line of fold. it is therefore a furtherobject of the invention to provide means for moving the cooperatingtucker blades and jaw assemblies in a substantially coplanar relationthroughout their passage through the tucking zone, to thereby move thetucker blades substantially straight into and out of the bite of thejaws, thus eliminating the sharp angular relation between the blades andthe jaws during a tucking operation and overcoming the above mentioneddifiiculties.

In accordance with this invention, and as exemplified by a preferredembodiment thereof, there is contemplated the elimination of thegenerally regarded standard pair of cooperating cylinders, and theprovision of a pair of rotatable frame members each having a pair ofspaced end plates and a plurality of tucker blades and coacting jawassemblies pivotally mounted adjacent their peripheries, in such amanner that the blades of each frame are moved into and out ofassociation with the cooperating jaws of the other frame. A pair ofmutually facing stationary cams are positioned one adjacent each frameand in the rotational path of cam followers carried by said blade andjaw assemblies. A plurality of webs or a single web which is to befolded is fed in a conventional manner preferably in a vertical planedownwardly between the rotating frames, with the cams so designed andconstructed that the cooperating blade and jaw assemblies are pivotallymoved relative to their rotating supports and thus moved downwardlythrough the tucking zone in substantially coplanar relation, the bladesbeing moved slowly into and out of the jaw bites to effectively engagethe web and produce the desired fold. Another stationary cam ispositioned in the path of cam followers carried by the movable upperjaws of the jaw assemblies of each frame to effect an opening of thejaws subsequent to the tucking action and facilitate the release of thefold to allow the web to fall by gravity into a zigzag stack.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following moredetailed description of one embodiment of the present invention read inconjunction. with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is anelevational view with the frame broken away to show the foldingmechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a detailed elevational view showing the mounting for a jawassembly;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a jaw assembly;

Figure 7 is a similar view of a tucker blade assembly;

Figure 8 is a view in elevation of one of the plate members; t

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 9-9 ofFigure 3;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 9 showing the platefurther rotated and the upper jaw raised;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 1lt-11 ofFigure 3;

Figures l2l5 are fragmentary elevational views showing various positionsof the tucker blade and jaw assemblies during a tucking operation; and.

Figure 16 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 16-l6 ofFigure 1.

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, ref erence is now madespecifically to the drawings, and as can be seen in Figure 2, thefolding mechanism is mounted on a frame which includes a pair of spacedupright panels Ill and 11. A pair of spaced parallel shafts 12 and 13are suitably journalled in these side panels with shaft 12 extendingthrough panel 11 andv having a driving gear 14 mounted adjacent itsextended end. A pair of meshing gears 60 and 61 are also securedadjacent one end of shafts 12 and 13 respectively, and it is apparenttherefore that upon shaft 12 being rotated through the drive gear 14,shaft 13 will be rotated in the opposite direction. The drive for gear14 is not shown since it forms no part of the invention; however, itmight be noted that folding mechanisms of this type are frequently usedin connection with printing presses. or like machines. with the drivefor gear l4- being taken from the press in synchronism with the workingparts of, the press.

A pair of rotational frames are rigidly supported on the shafts andinclude a pair of spaced plates .15, 15' and l6, 16 which are securedadjacent the ends of shafts l2 and 13 respectively by any conventionalmeans such as keys or the like. A plurality of jaw pair assemblies 17and tucker blade assemblies 18 are carried adjacent the peripheries ofplates 15, 15 and 16, 16' in such a manner that upon rotation of theplates in opposite directions through shafts l2 and 13, the jaw pairs ofone plate receive the tucker blades of the other plate. As shown inFigure l, a web W, which is to be folded, is fed in a vertical planedownwardly between the rotating plates, and after folding it falls bygravity into a zigzag stack formation S. When a plurality of webs are tobe folded, they can first be fed over a feed roll F to bring them into asuperposed position and then fed downwardly in a like manner as a singleweb.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, eachrotatable frame carries a tucker blade assembly and a jaw assemblydisposed 180 in pha from the blade assembly, and since the assemblies ofeach frame are identical, only one of each will be fully descr1bed. Thejaw and tucker blade assemblies which are controlled by earns 27 and 28in a manner set forth herelnafter will be the assemblies which are fullydescribed; however, to facilitate a reading of the drawings, the jaw andtucker blades which are controlled by the opposite cams and alternatelybrought into engagement upon rotation of their supporting plates will bedesignated by a similar reference numeral plus 100. The jaw assembly 17,as can be best seen in Figure 6, comprises an elongated fixed. lower jaw17 rigidly secured between a pair of supporting blocks 19 and 20 and amovable upper aw 17" overlying the lower jaw and pivotally supported onpins 21 and 21';- Fig. 2) suitably journalledin the supporting blocks.\The jaw assembly is mounted for pivotal movement relative to plates 15,and 16, 16' by means of a shaft 22, to which the supporting blocks 19and 20 are rigidly secured, being suitably journalled in the plates.

As can be seen in Figure 7, the tucker blade assembly 18 comprises anelongated su porting block having longitudinalv extending channels 23cut therein, with a tucker blade 24 being rigidly clamped in the channelby means of bolts or the like 25. The tucker blade assembly is alsomounted for pivotal movement relative to the end plates 15, 15' and 16,16' by means of pins 26 suitably journalled in the end plates.

To control the path of movement of the respective tucker blade and jawassemblies, a pair of stationary cams 27 and 28 are rigidly secured tothe end panel 10 of the main frame, one surrounding each of the shafts12 and 13 adjacent their ends remote from the driving end. A camfollower arm 29 (Fig. 13) is rigidl mounted on the supporting shaft 22of the jaw assembly, with a follower roller 30 being carried adjacentthe free end of this arm and offset therefrom to lie in engagement withthe surface of cam 27. Likewise, a cam follower 31 carried adjacent thefree end of an arm 32, which is rigidly mounted on the tucker bladeassembly, engages the cam 28 to control movement of the tucker blade. Asshown best in Figure 9, jaw assembly 17 is urged in a counterclockwisedirection about its pivot 22, to hold the cam follower 30 in engagementwith cam 27, by means of a compression spring 33, one end of which bearsagainst an enlargement 65 adjacent one end of a rod 34, with its otherend bearing against a block 36 mounted on plate 15'. The supporting rod34 is positioned within and enveloped by spring 33 with one end thereofpivotally securedto a pin 35 carried by block 20 of the jaw assembly andthe other end slidably received in an aperture in block 36. On the otherhand, tucker blade assembly 18 carried by plates 16, 16' is urged in aclockwise direction by means of a like construction which includes acoil spring 37, one end of which bears against a pin 38 carried by thetucker blade assembly and the other end of which bears against a block38' secured to the plate 16'. (Fig. 2.) It is apparent, therefore, thatas the plates are rotated, the jaw assemblies and tucker bladeassemblies are constantly urged into engagement with their respectivecams, and thus their path of travel is controlled by the shape of thecams.

The shape of these cams which effect the novel and desired foldinginteraction between the tucker blades and jaws will now be discussed.Looking at Fig. 1 and Figs. 12l5, it can be seen that the surfaces 39and 40 of cams 27 and 28 respectively, which extend between points a, band a, b on the respective cam surfaces, are concentric with and of asmaller diameter than the circular paths described by the respectivepivotal points 22 and 26 of the jaw and tucker blade assemblies. It willbe seen, therefore, that as shaft 12 rotates in its counterclockwisedirection and cam follower 30 rides along cam surface 39, jaw assembly17 will be forced to rotate about its pivot 22 in a counterclockwisedirection relative to its supporting plates 15, 15'. At the same time,cam-follower 31 follows cam surface 40 of cam 28 to thereby rotate thetucker blade assembly 18 about its pivotal axis 26. With theseassemblies being rotated relative to their rotating supporting platesand therefore being swung about the axes of rotation of the supportingplates at a faster rate, it can be seen that they will be brought intocoplanar relation in a plane parallel to but lying above the planethrough the rotational axis of their supporting plates for purposesdescribed more fully hereinafter.

Second surfaces on cams 27 and 28 lying immediately below surfaces 39and 40 and extending from points It and b to d and df on the respectivecam surfaces are formed by striking an arc of a circle whose axes liesub stantially below the axes of rotation of the supporting plates. Thehigh point of these arcuate surfaces are designated 0 and 0'respectively, and it can be seen that as the supporting plates continueto rotate and the cam followers ride over surfaces 41 and 42, the jawand tucker blade assemblies will be pivoted clockwise andcounterclockwise respectively about their pivotal axis 22 and 26, thusretarding their rotational movement with respect to the supporting plateaxes to thereby maintain the assemblies in substantially coplanarrelation, however at the same time moving them toward each other. As thecam followers continue to ride over surfaces 43 and 44, the assembliesare moved away from each other in a like manner. For the purposes ofillustration, the arcuate surfaces 41, 43 and 42, 44 were struck withtheir axes at the point of intersection between the vertical planethrough the axes of rotations of shafts 12 and 13 and the horizontalplane through the high points c, c of the arcuate surfaces. It will beunderstood, however, that the radius of curvature of these arcuatesurfaces can be readily changed to effect the desired movement of thejaw and tucker blade assemblies relative to each other.

Describing the operation of the folding mechanism thus far covered, itcan be seen that as the plates 15, 15 and 16, 16 are rotated to theposition of Figure 12, the jaw assembly 17 and tucker blade assembly 18have been rotated counterclockwise and clockwise respectively abouttheir axes 22 and 26, due to the aforementioned smaller radius ofcurvature of the cam surfaces 39 and 40, to a position approaching acoplanar relation. As the plates continue to move to the position ofFigure 13, wherein the cam followers 30 and 31 have reached points b andb on the respective cam surfaces, the jaw and tucker blade assemblieslie in a coplanar relationship, which plane is transverse to the planeof feed of the web W and substantially parallel with and lying above theplane running through the rotational axes of shafts 1.2 and 13. It canalso be noted in Figure 13, that with the assemblies in this position,they abut the web W but as yet have not begun any tucking action.

As the plates continue to rotate, the cam followers 30 and 31 move alongthe surfaces 41 and 42 respectively of the cams to urge the jaw assemblyand blade assembly to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise respectivelyabout their pivots 22 and 26. It is apparent, therefore, that due to thepivotal movement of the assemblies relative to the plates and in adirection opposite to the rotation of the plates, that the assemblieswill move downwardly in a substantially coplanar relation. At the sametime, however, due to the slight radius of curvature of cam surfaces 41and 42 and the fact that their axes 22 and 26 are following a radiusfrom centers 12 and 13, the assemblies are moving toward each other,with the movement of the blade into the jaw bite forcing a portion ofthe web W into the jaws. When rotation of the plates has brought the jawand blade assemblies to the position shown in Figure 14, they lie on thecenter line connecting the axes of shafts 12 and 13, with the jawshaving received the blade to its farthest predetermined extent, tothereby complete the folding or tucking. As the plates continue torotate, with the cam followers riding over surfaces 43 and d d, it isapparent that the jaw and tucker blade assemblies will continue to beurged in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction respectively abouttheir pivots 22 and 26 thereby maintaining them in a substantiallycoplanar relation and at the same time moving them apart.

It can be seen from the above description of the coplanar path of travelof the jaw and tucker blade assemblies with the blade and jaws movingtoward each other in a substantially horizontal movement, that theprevious ditficulties arising from the cocking and sharp angle meshingof the blades and jaws in the cooperating cylinder type folders have nowbeen eliminated.

To facilitate the removal of the folded portion of the web from thefolding mechanism and allow it to fall by gravity into a zigzag stackformation, a cam follower 45 is mounted on an arm d6 extending upwardlyfrom and secured to the movable upper jaw 17 by any suitable means suchas bolts or screws 47, while a stationary cam 43 is mounted on the framewith inclined surfaces 49 and 5% on either side thereof adjacent itsupper end. The upper jaw portion 1'17" is normally held in a fixedrelation with respect to the lower stationary jaw 17 by means of aspring 51 having a cap 52 at one end abutting jaw 17' with the other endthereof abutting a block 53 which is secured as by welding to the upperjaw 17'. (Figures and 11.) As the plates rotate to a position shown inFigure 15, cam follower 45 is brought into engagement with the inclinedsurface 49 of the fixed cam id to rotate jaw 17 about its pivotal axis21 in a clockwise direction, and thereby move it away from the lower jawto thus allow the folded web to fall freely into its zigzag stack. Itwill be apparent that a similar cam follower on the jaw assembly 117 ofplates 1o, 16 will engage the cam surface 50 upon continued rotation ofthe plate for the same purpose.

From the foregoing description, although only one of the coacting jawand tucker blade assemblies have been described, it will be understoodthat the operation of the jaw and blade assemblies 1117 and 118, whichare mounted on plates 16, 116' and 15, respectively and alternatelybrought into engagement with the web upon continued rotation of theplates, will be identical. It should also be understood that any changeswhich might occur to one skilled in the art are contemplated by thepresent invention within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. in an interfolding machine for folding a web in zig-zag fashion,blade means and jaw means mounted for bodily translation about parallelaxes to insert said blade means into the bite of said jaw means tointroduce a fold in said web, said blade means and said jaw means beingadapted for rotation about axes independent of said axes of translation,cam means for rotating the blade means and jaw means in directionscontrary to the direc tion of translation to maintain the blade meansco-planar with the bite of said jaw means through a common are of thepaths of translation which extends both above and below the plane of theaxes of translation, said jaw means 6 comprising two jaws one of whichis rockable independently of its translation and rotation, means urgingsaid rockable jaw toward said other jaw to define the bite thereof, andindependent cam means for rocking said rockable jaw away from said otherjaw at the end of said common are to release the folded web.

2. An interfolding machine for folding a web in zigzag fashion whichcomprises a pair of rotatable frames, 21 tucker blade as a unit carriedfor pivotal movement by one of said frames, a pair of coacting jawscarried for unitary pivotal movement by the other of said frames, one ofsaid jaws being mounted for independent rocking movement away from andtoward the other jaw, means biasing said rockable jaw to a position atwhich it coacts with said other jaw, cam means for pivoting said bladeand for pivoting said pair of jaws as a unit in directions contrary tothe direction of rotation of the respective rotatable frames forbringing said blade and. the bite of said jaws into co-planarrelationship above the plane of the rotational axes of said frames andfor moving the blade and the bite of said jaws from coplanarrelationship below said plane, and independent cam means for rockingsaid rockable jaw against said biasing means to open the jaws only atthe termination of that portion of travel of said blade and jaws duringwhich they are co-planar.

3. In a machine for introducing zig-zag folds into a web, a pair offrames mounted for rotation about parallel axes, supporting memberscarried by each of said frames and adapted for independent rotation withrespect thereto, a blade supported by the members on one frame and apair of coacting jaws supported by the members on the other frame,rotation of the frame-s causing the insertion of the blade in the jawsto fold said web, a stationary cam mounted adjacent each frame, a camfollower for the supporting members on each frame, spring means urgingthe supporting members in the same direction as that of the rotation oftheir corresponding frames to maintain said followers in contact withsaid cam, said cams being adapted to rotate said supporting membersagainst the urging of said spring means to maintain said blade and thebite of said jaws in co-planar relationship through a common are in therotation of the frames, said are extending both above and below theplane of the frame axes, one of said jaws being fixed with respect tothe supporting members and the other being independently rockable withrespect thereto, spring means urging said rockable jaw toward the fixedjaw to a position defining the normal bite thereof, a cam follower forsaid rockable jaw, and a stationary cam independent of saidfirst-mentioned cam for rocking said jaw away from the fixed jaw at theend of said common arc to facilitate the release of the folded web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,588,524 Cannard June 15, 1926 1,595,992 Cannard Aug. 17, 19261,869,694- Hudson Aug. 2, 1932 1,966,885 Crafts July 17, 1934 FOREIGNPATENTS 627,367 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1949

